Sunday, March 31, 2013

The Oakheart Academy for Wayward Girls - Part One

HEXENBRACKEN Hex # 03 05
Tucked away in the northwest of The Hexenbracken, you will find The Oakheart Academy for Wayward Girls.

The Academy was founded by Gristel Oakheart as a place for noble families to send their daughters of rebellious or otherwise undesirable disposition. The Hexenbracken was rife with witchcraft and dark sorcery. At the Oakheart Academy, the girls would be cured of any transgressive, mystical tendencies.

However, a dark secret lurks far beneath the dormitories and halls of the academy. Gristel Oakheart is high priestess of the loathsome Juiblex, the Faceless Lord and god of slimes, jellies, and oozes.

It is rumored that Gristel herself is using many of the students in evil rituals in order to create a gateway for the foul god to enter into this world. Many students have gone missing and there have been a few who have left seek help from the outside. Most of these are brought back by Gristel's sentries or are devoured by the aboleths in the waters throughout The Hexenbracken.

Furthermore, Gristel has been performing experiments on students, as well as on herself, to create the perfect consort for Juiblex. Many of her experiments have resulted in horrific slime hybrid abominations that she keeps locked away in a hidden vault deep beneath the Academy.

GRISTEL'S VAULT

Prisoners and test subjects are magically teleported to this room. The doors to the North, South and East are locked. The west wall of the room is covered with several hooks hung with leather aprons and gloves. Several candelabras illuminate the room. On the wall next to the East Door is a lantern covered in red glass. When the lantern is removed, a switch to open the East Door is revealed. However, as it opens, an enormous black pudding (AC 6 HD 10 MV 80' (40') No of Attacks 1 3-24 dam SV F5) falls from the ceiling.

The floor of this room is covered in magical symbols that glow a sinister green color. Along the east wall are 8 metal amphoras sealed with wire and wax. Each one holds a virulent slime of varying hue. If opened, the slime will explode into the face of whomever is holding the vessel. Save vs. poison or die. 4d6 damage is save is successful.
The symbols on the floor are actually carved into the stone and the greenish glow is from a green slime seeping through the cuts and cracks. Anyone who steps on a symbol will be attacked by the slime. (AC 10 HD 2 MV 3' (1') No of Attacks: 1 SV F1)

This room is where some of Gristel's vile experiments occurred. There is a stone tub in the center of the room where a grey ooze (AC 8 HD 3 MV 10' (3') No. of Attacks: 1 2-16 dam SV F2) is working away at dissolving a bright white skeleton.
The door to the South West is sealed and if observed closely, will seem to "breathe" and "bulge". If opened, a torrent of slimes, oozes, puddings, and gelatinous cubes will explode from the door, filling the room and slowly drowning and dissolving everyone it's wake. The twisting corridor beyond and stairway down are filled with the undulating, shapeless jellies of Gristel's creation.

Room of the Cubes - 24 Gelatinous Cubes (AC 8 HD 4 MV 60' (40') No of Attacks 1 2-8 dam + paralysis SV F2) routinely slither through this room and down the narrow passages that lead to Gristel's lair. Gristel throws rotting meat from the dining commons, and the remains of victims to her cubes regularly. Gristel can walk freely through the cubes without injury.

Gristel's Lair - There is a 25% chance that Gristel will be in her lair - a room filled with all manner of magical equipment - bubbling test tubes, glass vials, stone amphoras, and in the South East corner of the room - a stone well filled with bubbling green slime.The door to the North West leads to another corridor that is filled with cubes, oozes, and slimes. Gristel is impervious to any of their damaging effects.GRISTEL OAKHEARTLesser Slime LordAC 0
HD 10 (80 hp)
MV 80' (60')
No. of Attacks - see below
Damage - see below
SV MU10
Gristel can cast the following spells four times per day - Disintegrate, Teleport, Transmute Flesh to Slime, Transmute Metal to Slime, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice, Wall of Slime. She can also polymorph self into slime at will, and Gate 1d10 oozes or slimes four times per day. She will not battle with intruders, but rather will teleport them away to the mass of slime beneath the vault or into Room 6 where her sentries lay in wait.

Guard Room - Gristel's Sentries await instructions here. There are 1d8 at any given time (AC 0 HD 6 MV 60' (40') No. of Attacks 1 Dam by weapon SV F8) They are tall humanoid figures in black armor. Beneath their helmets and armor, the heads are covered in burlap sacks and the bodies of the sentries are comprised of writhing black and green slime. They will attack with long swords or axes. Players must save vs. paralysis if damaged during armed combat. When defeated, the slime within the sentries will spill out of the armor and attack (AC 4 HD 4 MV 40' (20') No of Attacks 1 2-12 Damage plus save vs. paralysis)

1 comment:

Seriously though, really good location. I find alot of the time writers make up convoluted reasons for there to be interesting encounters, enemies,and traps. I like that you were able to make it really interesting but still stuck to a consistent theme. Great stuff!

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